How to Keep Your Bike from Getting Stolen
Based on my experience, here’s how to keep your bike from getting stolen. If you’ve ridden bikes for any period of time, it’s very likely you’ve had a bike stolen. And I’ll pretty much guarantee you know someone who has. As the cost of bikes goes up, bike thieves are getting more and more sophisticated, and simple things like locking your bike no longer work. I had my locked cyclocross bike stolen a few years ago from a locked steel cage. I’m sure you’ll agree to get your bike stolen sucks, so here are some tips on minimizing the risk.
The basics of keeping your bike from getting stolen
- Use a high-quality U-lock.
- Always lock your bike to a secure fixed object.
- Lock your bike in a well-lit and well-traveled area.
- Take any parts and components with you.
While these basics are all good, I’m here to tell you that their advice is probably not enough to prevent your bike from being stolen.
Other things you need to do to keep your bike from getting stolen
Change your privacy settings on Strava.
Bike thieves have gotten really sophisticated these days. Probably because bikes have gotten so expensive. Anyway, thieves in Los Angeles stalked people on Strava to find their addresses and equipment then broke into their garages at night and stole their bikes. What you should do is change your map visibility in Strava to hide your address.
Unfortunately, doing all these things still may not be enough to prevent your bike from getting stolen. The second line of defense here is to be able to track your bike in case it is stolen.
How to Keep Your Bike from Getting Stolen: Bike Theft Prevention Devices
Apple Airtags (bike anti-theft GPS) on your Bikes.
Apple Airtags won’t prevent your bike from getting stolen but they will help you find it if it is. Here’s how it works. If your bike is stolen, you can track your bike using the FindMy App on your phone.
There are several areas where you can hide your Airtag.
- Under your bike seat
- Attached to your bike frame
- Hidden inside your bike frame
- In your saddle bag
For more creative ideas on how to hide an Airtag on your bike, check out this interesting article on ZDNET
If you don’t want to do the work tracking down your bike yourself, I would think your local police can help you as well.
U-lock: A strong and durable U-shaped lock that can be attached to a bike frame and a fixed object, such as a bike rack or pole.
Chain lock: A heavy-duty chain with a lock that can be wrapped around a bike frame and secured to a fixed object.
Cable lock: A lightweight cable with a combination or key lock that can be used to secure a bike to a fixed object.
Wheel lock: A lock that secures the rear wheel to the bike frame, making it difficult to ride away.
Alarm system: A device that emits a loud noise when a bike is moved or tampered with.
Bolt-on skewers: A special type of skewer that requires a specific tool to remove the wheels, making it more difficult for thieves to steal the bike.
Bike registry: A service that allows you to register your bike’s information and serial number in a database, making it easier to recover if it’s stolen.
Bike locker: A secure, enclosed locker that can be used to store bikes in public places, such as transit stations or university campuses.
It’s important to remember that no device can completely prevent bike theft, but using a combination of these prevention measures can make it much more difficult for thieves to steal your bike.
Hopefully, you’ll never say my bike keeps getting stolen again!
John
